More interesting facts

How did the centre of world commerce, Wall Street, get its name?

In September of 1653, the settlers in what is now New York City felt threatened by the local Natives and by the possibility of an invasion by Oliver Cromwell’s army. For protection, they built a large protective wall that stretched a half-mile across Manhattan Island. That wall was situated on the exact spot that we now know as the financial centre of the world: Wall Street.

Have you ever wondered how Cinderella could have walked in a glass slipper?

The story of Cinderella was passed along orally for centuries before it was written down by Charles Perrault in 1697. While doing so he mistook the word vair, meaning ermine, for the word verre, meaning glass. By the time he realized his mistake, the story had become too popular to change, and so instead of an ermine slipper, Cinderella wore glass.

Why are men’s buttons on the right and women’s on the left?

Decorative buttons first appeared around 2000 BC, but they weren’t commonly used as fasteners until the sixteenth century. Because most men are right-handed and generally dressed themselves, they found it easier to fasten their buttons from right to left. However, wealthy women were dressed by servants, who found it easier to fasten theirmistresses’ clothes if the buttons were on her left. It became convention and has never changed.

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here's more:

Number Thirteen Facts
The fear of number 13 is called triskaidekaphobia and it was derived from treiskaideka, the Greek word for thirteen and phobia. There were thirteen people at Christ's Last Supper before his captivity, it is recorder that Christ was crucified on Friday. Routine mission to the moon goes drastically wrong on Apollo 13. Some hotels skip number thirteen when numbering rooms. In Formula 1, there is no car with the number 13.

The First Marathon Facts
In 490 BCE, Pheidippides, a Greek soldier, ran from Marathon to Athens (about 25 miles) to inform the Athenians the outcome of the battle with invading Persians. The distance was filled with hills and other obstacles; thus Pheidippides arrived in Athens exhausted and with bleeding feet. After telling the townspeople of the Greeks' success in the battle, Pheidippides fell to the ground dead. In 1896, at the first modern Olympic Games, held a race of approximately the same length in commemoration of Pheidippides.

The Great Wall Myth
It is common mistake to say that The Great wall of China is visible from outer space. It is too thin to be noticed from such a great distance. Only two man made structures visible from space are: The Pyramids of Giza and the Hoover Dam.

Dogs Head Lives Without Body
In 1940 Dr. S.S. Bryukhonenko at the Institute of Experimental Physiology and Therapy, Voronezh, U.S.S.R conducted research where he experimented with dogs and proved that dogs head can live without its body for three days. Special artificial conditions were created to power the head with arterial and venous pumps. Dog's isolated head reacted to all basic external stimulants: light, sound, pain and taste. This disturbing Russian experiment helped scientist around the world to create artificial organs that are used by many medical institutes. More recently Dr. Robert White of Ohio claims that he transplanted a monkey's head onto another monkey's body. If you have a good stomach check this odd video which shows in detail how dog's head is living without body.

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Originally Posted by MariaLaura

The Great Wall Myth
It is common mistake to say that The Great wall of China is visible from outer space. It is too thin to be noticed from such a great distance. Only two man made structures visible from space are: The Pyramids of Giza and the Hoover Dam.

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"Number Thirteen Facts
The fear of number 13 is called triskaidekaphobia and it was derived from treiskaideka, the Greek word for thirteen and phobia. There were thirteen people at Christ's Last Supper before his captivity, it is recorder that Christ was crucified on Friday. Routine mission to the moon goes drastically wrong on Apollo 13. Some hotels skip number thirteen when numbering rooms. In Formula 1, there is no car with the number 13."

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So, thanks for posting MariaLaura, but I just don't get what I am supposed to take away...

Simple ScottJ! Some people are so superstitious about number 13, they even find 10 reason to fear that number ... crazy, isn't it?

10 Reasons Why People Fear the Number 13Do You Suffer from Triskaidekaphobia?

It is Friday the 13th, and there are a number of people who have a fear of the number 13. This fear is called Triskaidekaphobia. The superstition still reigns today, hotels will omit a 13th floor, folks will cancel travel plans, some won't even get of bed on Friday the 13th. People will avoid shopping on Friday the e 13th because they feel it is a bad luck. Just think we will only have to face a Friday the 13th once this year, and in 2009...well there are three of them. Here are some reason why people fear the 13th:

1. Some speculate that a fear of the number 13 is the reason we recognize only 12 constellations in the Zodiac, omitting a thirteenth Ophiuchus, the Serpent Holder.

2. The ancient Hebrews thought 13 was unlucky because the thirteenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet is the letter M, which is the first letter in the word "mavet," meaning death.

3. Belief that 13 is unlucky because it follows 12, which in ancient Babylonia, China, and Rome was considered to be a lucky number associated with completion and perfection

4. Bakers Dozen, some believed that the baker's would add a half loaf as a token to Satan to assure that the other twelve would turn out good. London bakers were subject to harsh penalties if they were caught selling bread in what was called short weight that the bakers would add the extra loaf to avoid the punishment.

6. A dinnerparty should not have 13 guests, the old belief that the first to rise would be the first to die, this belief goes back to the Last Supper where Judas was the first to rise and the first to die. A hostess who has only 13 guests will request that they all rise together so that none of her friends will die during the following year.

7. The Last Supper had 13 in attendance, Judas was the first to rise and the first to die

8. The Norse God Odin had a party for 11 demigods, including himself, Loki arrived uninvited and when Baldr, Odin's second son, tried to remove Loki, Baldr was murdered. Therefore 13 was unlucky

9. The arrest and murders of the Knights Templar was planned and executed on October 13, 1307

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This is not an interesting fact but a question... Is it true that the fireworks in the Opening of the Olimpic Games were not real and just a computer trick for those of us watching it on TV? If it is true Im very disappointed

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Originally Posted by MariaLaura

This is not an interesting fact but a question... Is it true that the fireworks in the Opening of the Olimpic Games were not real and just a computer trick for those of us watching it on TV? If it is true Im very disappointed

Right MariaLaura... believe it or not

Have a look at this:

Fireworks faked for Olympic opening ceremony

Parts of the acclaimed Beijing Games opening ceremony on Friday were pre-recorded including some of its spectacular fireworks, Olympics organisers admitted today.The ceremony won rave reviews around the world for its use of fireworks and a series of perfectly choreographed sequences, watched by an estimated 1 billion people.

Some of the fireworks though did not actually go off that night.

"Some footage had been produced before the opening ceremony to provide theatrical effect," Beijing Games executive vice president Wang Wei told reporters.

Among the sections that were pre-produced were parts of a stunning fireworks display across the city, a series of fireworks "footprints" that led to the Bird's Nest stadium where the four-hour extravaganza was staged.

A night-time aerial shot traced the consecutive explosions on the ground as they approached the stadium.

"There were footprints of fireworks," Wang said.

"Some of them were genuinely produced. Some maybe were used from previously recorded material."